Seaming head for containers



IN VENTOR.

JHM #9. W

{5 A T TOE 2 536 S. BIRKLAND SEAMI-NG HEAD FOR CONTAINERS April 4, 1950Filed May 17, 1948 BIRKLAND SEAMING HEAD FOR CONTAINERS April 4, 1950 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1948 Aprll 4, 1950 s. BIRKLAND 2,502,413

SEAMING HEAD FOR CONTAINERS Filed May 17, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet s JNVENTOR. a Jazzy/M 2W OLM AW AZM a,

April 4, 1950 s. BIRKLAND 2,502,413

SEAMING HEAD FOR CONTAINERS Filed May 17, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTORQ' JMW 25W Fatented Apr. 4, 1950 U -NI'TED JSHATES rATENTSEAMING HEAD FOR CONTAINERS Stellan Birkland, San Francisco, Cali.,.assignor to American" Can Company, New'Yo'rk,"N."Y.,' a icorporation'of New Jersey ApplicationfMayv 17, 1948,.- Serial No.27',400

6 Claims.

present invention relatesto. seaming heads :suchtas, are used in the;uniting of sheet metal .coyersi or end members toseontainers or cans-byanninterfolding of flange parts thereof ,and. has

particular reference.to arrirnprovedseaming head "machineasawholeandrequired floor space are reduced toe-minimum.

.wAnother.object-is the. provision of such anim- .:proved .vseaming headwherein; greater speed of rotation" is obtained due "to. the decreasedsize of -the..-.head, withithe result that vgreateroproduc- :tion maybeiefiected.

,wAnother objectis the provision of suchan improved seaming head. theinitial cost and upkeep ,Ofv which is: very. economical. and wherein thearrangement of ,the. -head I parts facilitates .greater accuracy-"in Kthetqoperationsof the ;head and the (forming -.ofra, tl'ie endeseam thatunites the covers iwithcthe cans.

{Another object is the provision of.- such a seaming .head wherem eachseaming -unit includes. a single rocker-Fshaft which carries the seamingroller, and-whichisrocked for thedual purpose :Ofu, guiding the aseaming roller. around a: chuck in .ansorbitparallel toithe contour ofthe chuck and .of sl iifztingi-theaseamingrollerintoiand 'out of seamingposition.

Numerousother. objects and advantagesof the invention will betapparentas it is betterunderstoodfrom the. following description, which, .tak- IFig. 2 being. omitted;

.,Eig.. 6. is an enlarged perspective view .ofone of the seaming unitsembodied in the head, with parts broken away; and

Iiig. '7. isa .vertic'al section ofv the seamingw unit shown inFigL 6.

.As a preferrediand exemplary embodiment of the invention thedrawingsillustrate ahi'gh speed rotary type seaminghead having 'ffirstand second operation seaming units A including seaming rollers B whichrevolve aroundastationary sheet metal can 0 (Fig. 1) andasuperimposednover D to effect. an interfolding offfiange,partstof thecan and the coverior uniting; these parts? inan end seam such, forexamplenthe well? known double seam used inlthe loan ,,making industry.The seaming operation ..preferably "is performed with the can C. and.its superimposed coverffD clamped .b'etweena can'l'iiten plate ,orsupportfgll and a. chuck 22,-.Whic11'1form8fi. part of fthe head.

The can support 2 I preferably.isfformedongthe .upperend of. averticallymovable stem" 23 jslideably disposed in agbearing ..bracket.24 which projects outwardly from a lmachine, frame 25 whichmayconstitutethe main frame of. a more elaborate machine in whichthe.seaming..,head is .used. The stem 23, may be; raised and lowered in anysuitable-manner to. clampjthe' can and its cover against the chuck.

The. chu'ck'i22 .(Figs. l, 5 aridtfi); is stationary and in the caseshown in" .thefdrawings is-rectangular in contour with rounded cornersfor .a can 0' of rectangular shape" although the invention isequally-welladapted to'oval cans andca-ns of other irregular shape. Thechuckiz-isbolted'to a 'fiange28 -f'ormed on' thelower'end-ofa'vertically disposed stationary chuck sleeve 29- which a'tits upper end isclamped tightly in asplitbearingi 3| formed in the upperl portion of the-machine frame 25. -An..-adjusting-nut 32tthreadedlyen-"vided -for .ver.tica1ly adjustingthechucls 22. 'iAitel' an:adjustmenattheanut iszrzlamped against rutaiy Iandvertical:movementbyaclamp ring-.33secured byscrewstov the-bearing.

i The bottom of the: chuck; 22 is. recessed for a conventional :knockout.;-pad :35 for ejecting a seamed can and? .itswcover;frornthechuclnafter the seaming operation. Thisrknockout padc- 35zissecured to the;lowenendofiarodrw which extends up-through the, chucksleeve 29. .The rod .pro- .jects above thersleeve and is. actuated ,byitem action in theusualvmanner.

The seaming units, A-Qwhich carry ,the seaming rollers Baroundwthestationarycan Care located 1 in a rotatable, cylindrical. head .housing,4 I. filings.

1, 3,4,and 6)' which ismounted onandkeyedto thevlower. end'ofaiheadsleeve. 42 ll-Ties; 1 andje) which surrounds and-whichis rotatablymounted on the chuck sleeve-29. Anutfl' lLthreadedly secured to the..lower "end; of ,jthe' head, sleeve 42 holds the head 4| in place on thesleeve. The head sleeve extends upwardly along the chuck sleeve and atits upper end is formed with a hub 44. This hub is mounted on a rollerthrust bearing 45 (Fig. 1) carried on a bushing 46 threadedly secured tothe chuck sleeve 29 and held in place by a lock nut 41.

The head housing 4| is rotated continuously by a gear 5| which is formedon the hub 44 (Fig. 1) and which meshes with and is driven by a drivinggear 52. The driving gear 52 may be a part of the mechanism of theseaming machine in which the seaming head is mounted and this gear 52may be driven in the usual manner.

There are four seaming units A carried in the head housing 4| and theyare equally spaced around its interior periphery. These units are allidentical in construction and operation. Two of the units, disposeddiametrically opposite, are first operation units and carry firstoperation seaming rollers 55 (Fig. 5) and the other two, alsodiametrically disposed, are second operation units and carry secondoperation seaming rollers 56.

Each seaming unit A includes a vertically disposed rocker shaft 6|(Figs. 1 and 7) which adjacent its lower end carries a ball bearing 62(see also Fig. 6) mounted in a retaining bore or collar 63 in the headhousing 4|. Below the ball hearing, the rocker shaft is reduced indiameter and carries a seaming roller arm 65. It is on the outer ends ofthese arms thatthe seaming rollers 13 (55, 56) are rotatably mounted.The rollers are disposed in a horizontal plane with the chuck 22 and theflange parts of the can C and its cover D for rolling action againstthese flange parts as will be hereinafter explained.

Above the ball bearing 62, the rocker shaft 6| is rotatably mountedwithin a rocker sleeve 61 which is rotatably carried in a bearing 68which projects inwardly from the inner surface of the head housing 4|(Fig. 6). Above the rocker sleeve 67, the rocker shaft 6| carries arocker gear 69 which is keyed to the shaft and which is held in place bya screw threadedly secured in the upper end of the shaft. The gear 69and the shaft 6| and the seaming roller arm 65 thus are rotatable as aunit. 7

The rocker sleeve 61, immediately below its bearing 68 carries a seaminglever 13 which is clamped around the sleeve and which extends in ahorizontal direction opposite to that of the seaming roller arm 65 andat a slight angle thereto (see Fig. 6). This seaming lever 13 at itsouter end carries a seaming cam roller 14 (see also Fig. 3). There isone of these cam rollers for each seaming unit A. The two cam rollers onthe first operation seaming units are disposed at a higher level thanthose of the two rollers on the second operation seaming units, andoperate against a rotatable first operation edge cam 16 (Figs. 1, 2, 3,and 6) The lower level rollers of the second operation seaming unitsoperate against a second operation edge cam H which is integral with thefirst op-. eration edge cam l6 and which rotates therewith (Figs. 1 and3). These cams operate at the; proper time to move the seaming rollers Binto and out of seaming engagement with the can and cover flange partsto effect the seaming operation as will be hereinafter explained. Therollers are pressed against the cams 76, H by spring barrels 18 (Fig. 3)carried in sockets l9 threadedly secured in the head housing 4|. Thespring barrels 76 duction.

4 engage against the seaming levers 73 as shown in Fig. 3.

Rotation of the seaming edge cams 16, TI is effected by a cam sleeve 8|on the lower end of which the cams are secured (Figs. 1 and 3). Thissleeve is rotatably mounted on the head sleeve 42 and is also journaledin a long stationary bearing 82, clamped at its upper end in the machineframe 25 (see Fig. 1). Above the bearing 82, the cam sleeve 8| is formedwith a gear 83 which meshes with and is driven by a gear 94, which likethe gear 52 may be a part of the mechanism of the seaming machine inwhich the seaming head is mounted. The gear 84 is driven in unison withthe gear 52 and is slightly larger in diameter than the gear 52 forrotating the gear 83 slightly faster than the gear 5|. This is aconventional differential gear arrangement which is common in seamingheads used in the can making industry.

Movement of the seaming rollers B into and out of seaming engagementwith the can and cover flange parts to effect the seaming operation isbrought about through a rocker arm 81 (Figs. 2, 6 and '7) which isformed on the rocker sleeve 61 and which extends outwardly in thegeneral direction of the seaming lever 13. There is one of these rockerarms 81 for each rocker sleeve. These rocker arms at their outer endscarry a vertical stationary pin 88 on which a follower or contour gear39 is freely mounted.

The gear 89 of each seaming unit A meshes with the gear 69 keyed to therocker shaft 6|. Each of the gears 89 are also secured to a follower orcontour arm 9| which extends back over the tops of the gears 69, 89 andat its free end carries a cam roller 92. There is one follower arm 9|and one cam roller 92 for each seaming unit A. The cam rollers operatein a cam groove 94 of a stationary contour cam 95 bolted to a flange 96of the stationary bearing 82. The contour cam groove 94 is designed toprovide for the seaming rollers B, a path of travel around the can C andits cover D, identical in contour to that of the shape of the can andcover.

Hence as the head housin 4| rotates and revolves the seaming units Aaround the stationary can C and its superimposed cover D, the followercam rollers 92 traverse the stationary cam groove 94. During this travelof the cam rollers 92, the cam rocks the follower arms 9| and theattached follower gears 89 in accordance with the shape of the camgroove and this rocks the meshing rocker gears 69 and their attachedrocker shafts 6|. This rocking of the shafts 6| swings the attachedseaming roller arms 65 in the opposite direction to that of the followerarms 9|. Hence when the follower arms 9| move outwardly, the seamingroller arms 65 move inwardly and in like manner when the follower armsmove inwardly, the seaming roller arms move outwardly. In this mannerthe seaming rollers B on the arms 65 are made to follow the exactcontour of the chuck 22 and the can and cover flange .parts carriedthereon while the seaming rollers move around the chuck in spacedrelation thereto.

Since the follower cam 95 is disposed above the head housing 4| it maybe made in dimensions of a size large enough to insure extremelyaccurate operation. Being above the head housing it is not restricted bythe size of the housing and therefore the housing may be small enough topermit of considerable saving in its over-all diameter. Thus the headmay be rotated at higher speeds with a resultant increase in pro-Movement; of. the: seaming rollers '13 inwardly" toward. the: can: and,cover: flange parts to eflect the seaming operation as the;rollers-follow the contour. of the. chuck. 22, as: effected. by' theseaming cams 1.6,. 1.1 andcam rollers .14 onth'e seaming.

leversg'l3, rocksthe sleeves 6:13 on. the rocker shafts Ball and thusswings the rocker arms 81 outwardly. This shifts. the pins 88 on whichthe. follower: gears- 89 are mounted and thus pivotslthe contour arms91; on their cam rollers 92 operating in the; stationary cam groove 9.4;This pivoting. of the. contour arms has the. effect of partiallyrotating. therfollower gears- 89' and. their meshing rocker gears 69 ina direction which: swingsthe seaming? roller arms 65: inwardly towardthe chuck 22. In like manner, when the seaming operation is completedthe seaming cams I6, 1'! swing the rocker: arms 8'! inwardly and thusrotates the gears 69 and B9 in a direction. which movesth'e: seamingroller arms 65 away fromthe. chuck 22.

It should. be understood that in effecting this seaming operation, thefirst operation seaming rollers 55- are first moved intoengagement withthecan: and cover flange parts on the chuck 22 to effect the firstoperation of the seam as is customary in such. double seaming operationsand upon completion of this first operation these rollerszare shiftedaway from the partially'formed seam and the second operation rollers 56are moved into engagement with the seam parts to complete the seam.

In such a construction of seaming head there is only one rocker shaft 6!for each seaming unit A. The seaming roller B is attached to this rockershaft and the shaft is rocked, through the gears 69, 89 for the dualpurpose of guiding the seaming roller around the chuck 22 and its heldcan and cover in an orbit parallel to the contour of the chuck and ofshifting the seaming roller into and out of seaming position. Thus theentire movement of the seaming roller is effected through rotation ofthe rocker shaft. This greatly simplifies the construction of the headand provides for greater accuracy and economy in the formation of theend seam.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a seaming head for uniting either circular or non-circular canends to cans, the combination of a chuck having a shape corresponding toa can and an end to be seamed, a head housing having rotative movementaround said chuck, a rocker shaft mounted in said head housing, aseaming roller carried by said rocker shaft adjacent said chuck, meansincluding a stationary cam for rocking said rocker shaft during rotation6'" or non-circular can ends to cans; the combination of: a chuckhaving. a shape corresponding to a can and an. end to be seamed, a headhousing having rota-tivem'ovement around said: chuck, a;

. rocker shaft mounted in said head housing, an

arm secured to said rocker shaft and carrying a seaming rolleradjacentsaid chuck, a; stationary cam patterned on theshape of said chuck,corinectin'g' m'eans disposed between said stationary cam and saidrocker shaft for guiding said seam ing roller around said chuck inanorbit parallelto: the. contour of the chuck during rotation ofsaid:housing; saidconnecting: means including a rocker arm mounted forrotation. onsaid rocker shaft, means for oscillating said rocker arm onsaidrocker shaft,- and means operating through said. connecting meansfor transferring the oscillating'movement ofsaid rocker armto saidro'cker sh'aftl'tomodify the said orbit movement of said seaming rollerthereby shifting said roller into and outofseaming position.

3*. In a scanning head for uniting can ends to cans, the combination ofa non-circular chuck for-holding a can having a non-circularendtobeseamed; a head housing having rotative movement'around saidchuck, a rocker shaft mounted in said head housing, a seaming roller armse-- cured to'said rocker shaft and carrying a seaming roller adjacentsaid chuck, a gear also secure'd tosaid rocker shaft, means including acontour cam and interconnectingmovableparts operating through said gearfor oscillating said rocker shaft to guide said seaming roller aroundsaid chuck in an orbit parallel to the contour of the chuck, and meansincluding a cam and interconnecting parts operable through said gear andalso through some of said contour cam movable parts for oscillating saidrocker shaft to modify its orbit movement to shift said seaming rollerinto and out of seaming position.

4. In a seaming head for uniting can ends to cans, the combination of astationary chuck for holding a can having a non-circular end to beseamed, a head housing having rotative movement around said chuck, arocker shaft rotatably mounted in and carried by said head housing, aseaming roller arm secured to one end of said rocker shaft and carryinga seaming roller adjacent said chuck, a gear secured to the other end ofsaid rocker shaft, follower means including a follower gear engagingwith said rocker shaft gear, said follower gear having rotation on 3,normally stationary pin, means including a stationary cam for actuatingsaid follower means to oscillate said follwer gear on its pin andthrough said rocker shaft gear to oscillate said rocker shaft forguiding said seaming roller around said chuck in an orbit parallel tothe contour of the chuck during rotation of said head housing, and meansmounted in part on said rocker shaft and having connection with saidfollower gear for moving its pin and through said gears for rocking saidrocker shaft to shift said seaming roller into and out of seamingposition.

5. In a seaming head for uniting can ends to cans, the combination of astationary chuck for holding a can having a non-circular end to beseamed, a head housing having rotative movement around said chuck, arocker shaft rotatably mounted in said head housing and carried therebyaround said chuck, a seaming roller arm secured on one end of saidrocker shaft, said arm carrying a seaming roller adjacent said chuck, agear secured to the other end of said rocker shaft, a rocker sleeverotatably mounted on said rocker shaft intermediate said rocker shaftgear and said roller arm, and providing a support element, a followerarm pi-votally mounted on said support element, said follower arm havinggeared connection with said rocker shaft gear, cam means operable onsaid follower arm and through said geared connection with said rockershaft gear to oscillate said rocker shaft for guiding said seamingroller around said chuck in an orbit parallel to the contour of thechuck, and means operable on said rocker sleeve and through said supportelement and gear connections with said rocker shaft for shifting saidseaming roller into and out of seaming position.

6. In a seaming head for uniting can ends to cans, the combination of astationary non-circular chuck for holding a can having a non-circularend to be seamed, a head housing having rotative movement around saidchuck, a rocker shaft rotatably mounted in and carried by said headhousing, a seaming roller arm secured to said rocker shaft, said armcarrying a seaming roller disposed adjacent said chuck, a rocker gearalso secured to said rocker shaft, a rocker sleeve rotatably mounted onsaid rocker shaft, said sleeve projecting laterally in a rocker arm, apin mounted on and carried by said rocker arm, a follower gear rotatablymounted on said pin for meshing with said rocker gear, a follower armsecured to said follower gear, a cam roller mounted on the end of saidfollower arm, a stationary contour cam having a cam track correspondingto the non-circular contour of said chuck said cam track being traversedby said cam roller during rotation of said head housing for rocking saidfollower gear and its meshing rocker gear to rotate said rocker shaft onits axis thereby guiding said seaming roller in an orbit surrounding andparallel to the contour of the chuck, a lever secured to said rockersleeve, said lever carrying a seaming cam roller, a rotatable seamingcam operable on said seaming cam roller for independently rocking saidfollower gear and its meshing rocker gear to move said rocker shaft andshift said moving seaming roller into and out of seaming position.

STELLAN BIRKLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 877,480 Beyer Jan. 28, 19081,972,862 Birkland Sept. 11, 1934 1,972,878 Erb Sept. 11, 1934 2,149,543Peyser Mar. 7, 1939 2,193,981 Peyser Mar. 19, 1940 2,216,082 KronquestSept. 24, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 721,855 France Mar.9, 1932

